


When You Love Someone

by Picajc



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, No Murder AU, Pregnancy, Secrets, coco is better, hector comes home, twins try to be sneaky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 20:55:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17251244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Picajc/pseuds/Picajc
Summary: Imelda discovers she is pregnant shortly after Hector leaves to tour with Ernesto.  She makes the decision not to tell him, much to the annoyance of her brothers.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

“ _Mierda_!”

 

The exclamation left Imelda’s lips as soon as she turned down the deserted street.  This wasn’t happening… this _couldn’t_ be happening.  HOW had she let this happen?  Well, she knew _how_ , but…

 

Her musings distracted her enough that she didn’t realize she had begun walking toward home.  She was startled when the gate that lead into the yard appeared before her.  Looking up at the house, it suddenly seemed like the most frightening place in the world.  Frightening because of who was there, who was missing, and who would be there soon enough.

 

The sound of her daughter laughing brought her back to the present, and brought the first smile to Imelda’s face since she had left the clinic.  She needed to go hug her baby- Coco always made everything else seem insignificant.  The reprieve from her worries would be brief, but for now, she would take what she could get.

***

Imelda had been able to fool her daughter with smiles too big and forced laughs throughout the evening, but two 17 year old brothers were a different case.  They noticed that the smiles didn’t quite reach her eyes, and the giggles shared with their niece were not quite genuine.  True, she had been more subdued since Hector went off to tour two months ago, but something else was different tonight.

 

As soon as Coco was down for the night and Imelda shut the door to the room, she was met with two identical sets of crossed arms and concerned frowns.

 

“What?” she countered them, mimicking their stance, though with a much more formidable look.

 

“We know something is going on,” Oscar replied, somewhat shakily.

 

“You weren’t yourself after you came back this afternoon,” Felipe continued.

 

“Coco didn’t notice-“

 

“-but we did.”  A pause.

 

“Talk to us,” they finished together.

 

Imelda wanted to do several things in that moment- she wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to hit both of them over the head with her shoe.  She wanted to tell them why she had been so different most of the day… but she couldn’t.  She wasn’t ready to tell anyone anything just yet.  So she did the next best thing.

 

“It’s nothing for you two to worry about,” she replied coolly.  “Everything is fine.”  And without another word, she pushed past her brothers and locked herself in her bedroom for the rest of the night.  The two men looked at the door, then at one another, and slowly made their way into the main part of the house.  They knew their sister, and her actions meant the matter was closed for now.  No use in trying to force her to tell them anything she wasn’t ready to say.

***

Imelda dropped onto her bed with a sigh.  Taking care of Coco had kept her mind off of things for a while. Now that the toddler wasn’t demanding her attention, her thoughts began to drift back to the conversation she had with Dr. Mercado in the clinic that day.

 

_“You’re pregnant, Senora Rivera,”_ he had said with a smile.  _“Congratulations!”_

 

Pregnant.  She wished she could have said she was surprised, but deep in her heart she had known what the doctor was going to tell her before she even made the decision to go to the clinic.  The signs had been easy enough to explain away at first- she was under a great deal of stress with Hector gone, looking after her young daughter and her _hermanos_.  Things would settle down eventually.  But after having to fight with her breakfast to stay down the last three mornings, she knew something more than stress was causing it.

 

_“How long?_ ”  she asked quietly.

 

“ _Just over two months would be my best guess_ ,” the man smiled.  He had only been in Santa Cecilia for a little over a year, and had gotten to know the young Rivera family quite well.  The twins came to him more often than he was sure Imelda would have liked, but thankfully never with any injury that was too terrifying.  Coco had had her share of scrapes and illnesses as well.  But this was the first time he had seen to Imelda, and he was happy to be able to deliver good news.

 

“ _You are young and healthy, Senora, and I see no reason to think this won’t be a relatively normal pregnancy.  I am confident Lucia will be able to see to your care from here on out, barring any complications_.”

 

“ _Si, gracias Doctor Mercado_ ,” she replied absently.

 

She shook herself back to the present time.  How was this pregnancy supposed to be normal with Hector gone for the next how many months?  How would he react when she told him?  _How_ was she going to tell him?  This wasn’t exactly a conversation one could have over the phone with their husband.  And it wasn’t something she wanted to put in a letter. 

 

The bigger question playing on her mind was this: did she _want_ him to know before his scheduled return from his tour?  She didn’t know.  On one hand, she wanted and needed him there more than she could admit to herself.  But on the other hand, what if this was really his and Ernesto’s chance to make it big?  How would he feel knowing that she had pulled him away from his potential success?  How would she feel about it?  Would he resent her?  These were questions that at 22 years of age she didn’t have the answers to, and wasn’t sure she wanted them.

 

She put a hand on the barely discernible swell of her stomach and rubbed it ever so gently.  “Well, _bebe_ ,” she whispered, “looks like Papa will be in for a _gran sorpresa_ when he comes home.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keeping her secret proves to be difficult for Imelda.

In the one week since Imelda had learned she was pregnant, she had done a great deal of thinking.  She thought about the baby of course, but she also thought about how a baby could alter the foundation of everything she had started working toward.

 

After Hector left with Ernesto, she knew a back up plan was needed.  That back up plan came in the form of shoes.  Senor Alvarez, the town shoe maker (among other things) was getting on in years, and looking for an apprentice to take over his business.  He had yet to find someone he felt he could trust to take the time and care it took to do what he did; that was until young Imelda Rivera came to him, all but begging him to take on her and her brothers as apprentices.  He had been wary at first, but the young girl had proven very dedicated and extremely capable.  Even her brothers, teenagers themselves, listened carefully and picked up the trade fairly quickly.  As long as they all kept progressing, he felt confident that they would one day become even better than he had ever been.

 

However, Senor Alvarez was not a stupid man- he knew something was going on with the young mother recently.  Sure she was upset that her husband was traipsing around Mexico playing music, but that had only seemed to fuel her fire when they began.  The last few days she had been especially distant, and downright dismissive of her brother’s concerns.  He had even heard her snap at young Coco, which was very surprising.  She had apologized to the child almost immediately, but still, it was so unlike her.  He wanted to question her, but felt he had no right to, and left it alone.

 

Imelda, however, _was_ struggling.  The nausea had seemed to increase each day since she was given the news that she was pregnant.  The morning before she had barely shoved her brothers and daughter out the door on an errand before her breakfast reappeared in the sink.  If this was going to keep happening she needed to think of something fast.  Her brilliant idea?  Skip breakfast.  If she didn’t eat, there wouldn’t be anything in her stomach to throw up. It was a good plan… or at least it _seemed_ like a good plan the night before.

 

She and the twins had spent a longer day with Senor Alvarez and they were all exhausted heading home in the late afternoon heat.  Coco was happily skipping in front of them, then running back to dance with her mama, and then skipping ahead again.  Imelda, still feeling guilty for snapping unnecessarily at her daughter, indulged the child’s every request for a dance in mama’s arms.  The longer they walked though, the worse she felt.  Skipping breakfast had turned into also skipping lunch.  Oscar and Felipe had taken a short break from their work, but she had wanted to keep working on stitching and did not join them.

 

Imelda was regretting that decision now.  She was lightheaded and more nauseous than on the days she did actually eat something.  If she could just make it home she would fix snacks for everyone and relax for a little while.  The gate was mere feet away, and the door just beyond that- she could make it.  She _almost_ made it.

 

“I’ve never been so happy to be inside this gate,” Oscar groaned as he leaned heavily on the fence.  “What a day.”

 

“Ay,” Felipe replied, heading toward the house.  “I’ll be happy not to smell leather for a week!”

 

“We go back tomorrow, _estupido_ ,” Oscar retorted.  The two then got into a harmless argument, their attention pulled from their sister.

 

Coco, however, couldn’t taker her eyes off her mama.  As soon as the gate latched behind her, Imelda had all but collapsed into it.  Her eyes were shut tight against the bright sunlight, her color pale.  She was breathing deeply through her nose, trying to fight the dizziness long enough to get inside where it was cooler.  So far, she wasn’t having much luck.

 

“ _Mama_?” Coco questioned.  Something in the child’s tone must have registered with her _tio’s_ , for they stopped their bantering to turn and look at their sister.  Her complexion startled them immediately.

 

“Imelda?  Are you alright?”  Oscar asked as he made his way over to her.

 

“Ay, you don’t look so good,” Felipe added.  “We better get you inside.”

 

Imelda opened her eyes and nodded lightly- bad idea.  Her vision swam and the next thing she knew was the enclosing darkness, and the shrill, terrified voice of her baby calling for her before everything went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secret is out, and Imelda needs a shoulder to cry on.

After bringing Imelda into the house, Oscar ran to find Dr. Mercado.  Lucia was sitting outside on her porch when she heard him racing down the street.

 

“Oscar!”  she hollered after him.  He skidded to a halt and looked back at her.  “What’s the rush, _mijo_?”  Lucia had been like a mother to all of them in the four years they had lived in Santa Cecilia.  She had delivered Coco, and the girl was even partially named after her honorary _abuela_.  If Oscar hadn’t been so frantic, he probably would have stopped to let her know what was going on in the first place.

 

“It’s Imelda,” he called while moving backward toward the clinic.  “She fainted- I am going to find Dr. Mercado!”  And he was off again.

 

Imelda had _fainted_?!  That girl had the constitution of an ox- it took an awful lot to make her stay in bed.  She knew the last two months had been stressful for Imelda with Hector gone, but fainting?  She quickly made the decision to go to the Rivera house and check on her surrogate daughter.  She hoped Coco hadn’t seen her mother fall, but the way Imelda kept that girl close, she knew it was unlikely.  She would need her _abuelita_ to hold her and assure her that her mama would be just fine.

 

Felipe grew more and more worried the longer Imelda stayed unconscious.  He had gotten a cool, wet rag for her head and kept reapplying it every few minutes.  Coco was buried in his side, tears streaming down her little face in worry for her mama.  Felipe wished he knew what to say to comfort her, but he was at a loss- he was just as worried about his sister as Coco was.

 

He heard the sound of the screen door opening, but knew it was too soon for Oscar to be back with Dr. Mercado.  He turned and was relieved to see Lucia coming in the door.

 

“Look who’s here, Coco,” Felipe nudged the toddler.  She took one look at Lucia and threw herself into her arms.

 

“ _Abuelita_ … mama…,” she stuttered and hiccupped through her tears.  Lucia just cradled Coco close and kissed her temple.

 

“Shhh, it’s ok,” Lucia whispered.  “It’s ok.  Mama will be just fine.”

 

Felipe was grateful to have Lucia there, but wished Oscar would hurry back with the doctor.  Not a minute later, the two rushed into the house and Felipe vacated his spot next to his sister.

 

“What happened?” the older man asked as he started examining Imelda.

 

“She just fainted,” Felipe answered. 

 

“We were walking home from Senor Alvarez’s, and had just come in the gate,” Oscar continued.  “She was leaning on the fence and didn’t look too good.  Next thing we know, she went down!”

 

Dr. Mercado nodded.  “Has she eaten today?”

 

The two teenagers looked at each other, seemingly having a silent conversation. 

 

“Not that we saw,” Felipe responded.  “She wanted to work through lunch, she said.”

 

“And at breakfast she said she ate before we got up, but I don’t know if that’s entirely true,” Oscar added.  “She’s been acting strange the last few days.”

 

“Ay, you noticed that too?” Lucia spoke up.  The two boys nodded.

 

“Well being pregnant is a good reason to seem different,” Dr. Mercado briefly looked back at the group behind him before turning back to Imelda, missing the looks of absolute shock that crossed three faces.  “But being pregnant and skipping meals is a terrible idea!”

 

“What do you mean pregnant?” Oscar and Felipe found their voices at the same time.

 

“ _Ay Dios mio!”_ Lucia swore, lifting her eyes to the ceiling.  “Of course she is.”

 

Dr. Mercado turned again to look at the three stunned people before him.  “She didn’t tell you?  Any of you?”

 

“NO!” they all shouted back. 

 

“We had no idea!” Oscar sounded dazed. 

 

“How far along is she, Jorge?”  Lucia asked in a much calmer tone.

 

“I figured just about two months, maybe two and a half,” he replied before taking something out of his bag.  “I told her a week ago.  She really never said anything?”

 

“Not a word,” Lucia replied.  “She’s been under so much stress with Hector gone.”  A pause.  “She’s a strong girl, but no one can handle everything all the time.”

 

“Well, maybe you can talk some sense into her when she wakes up in a minute,” the good doctor replied.  “She needs to eat, even if she ends up getting sick anyway.  She needs to drink plenty of water, and most importantly, she needs to rest for the next three days minimum.”

 

“We’ll make sure she does,” Oscar assured him.

 

“Even if we have to sit on her to keep her in bed,” Felipe grinned, earning a chuckle from the rest of the room.

 

“I’ll be here with her as well, Jorge,” Lucia added.  “Now wake that girl up so I can give her a lecture about taking better care of herself.”

 

The man smiled and waved some smelling salts under Imelda’s nose.  She stirred awake quickly, but looked a little dazed.  When she saw everyone gazing down at her she immediately shot up in the bed.

 

“Easy there, senora,” Dr. Mercado gently put his hand on her shoulder to steady her.  “Just lie back down, you gave everyone quite a scare this afternoon.”  Imelda still looked bewildered as her gaze shifted from the doctor, to her brothers, to Lucia and Coco.

 

“Mama you scared me,” came Coco’s tiny, shaking voice.  Imelda reached for her daughter and held her close, whispering reassuringly in her ear.

 

“ _Lo siento, mija,”_ she whispered while stroking Coco’s hair.  “Mama just got a little dizzy that’s all.”

 

“Because you’re p… pre… pegnant?”  Coco innocently asked.

 

Imelda’s eyes went wide.  She struggled to answer her daughter, and looked up at the four people staring intently at her.  Lucia said nothing but sat down on the bed next to Imelda.  She smiled softly and took Imelda’s free hand in hers.  She reached up and tucked an errant strand of hair back behind her ear.  That was all it took for the flood gates to open and Imelda to fall into Lucia’s open arms.

 

“Come on,” Dr. Mercado said ushering the twins out of the room.  “She’s in good hands now.”  And the three men exited the bedroom, the sound of Imelda’s sobbing cutting into the twins’ hearts like a knife.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imelda argues with her brothers; we check in on Hector on the road

“Imelda—“

 

“NO!”

 

“But Imelda, don’t you—“

 

“NO!”

 

“What if we—“

 

“ _Ay_! Do you two listen?  I said no and I mean no!”  Imelda was at her wits end with her brothers.  In the two months since they had learned she was pregnant again, they had been hovering like hawks around her.  Most of the time she appreciated their help and concern, but when it came to the conversation they were currently having, she wanted nothing more than to scream.  She took a deep breath before continuing.

 

“I know you don’t agree, but this is not something I can tell Hector in a letter, or over the phone.  I don’t want him rushing home out of some sense of obligation before he is ready.”

 

Oscar and Felipe sighed and looked from their sister to each other.  The three siblings had had this argument countless times in the last few months.  Imelda always had the same excuse for not wanting to tell Hector about the baby.  As much as they admired her determination, they couldn’t help but think she was being ridiculous, especially after Lucia had tried to convince her of the same. 

 

“Boys, Coco would like her _tios_ to take her to the park,” Lucia announced hers and Coco’s presence before the argument could escalate.  Oscar and Felipe sighed in defeat before taking Coco from Lucia and walking out the door.  Lucia waited until she was sure they were far enough away before turning toward Imelda.

 

“You know they just love you, mija,” she started.  “They just want to make sure you’re taken care of.”

 

“I know,” was the short reply.

 

“They’re not wrong, either,” Lucia chanced.  “You should tell-“

 

“Not you too,” Imelda groaned and leaned against the counter, head in her hands.

 

“Yes, me too!” Lucia persisted.  “You’re running yourself ragged trying to do everything by yourself!”

 

“I don’t do everything myself, Oscar and Felipe help, you’re here, Coco does what she can.”

 

“But you do the most of it, Imelda.  You exhaust yourself daily, and for what?”

 

“I _have_ to, Lucia.  I have no other choice!”

 

“You do to!  You know Hector would come home in a heartbeat if he knew about the baby!”  Under normal circumstances, Lucia would never dare to pick a fight with Imelda, or anyone for that matter.  But Imelda not telling Hector about the baby was something even she could not wrap her head around anymore.

 

“I KNOW!” Imelda shouted, tears barely kept contained behind her long lashes.  “I know,” a whisper that time.  “But that’s why I can’t tell him.”

 

“What?” Lucia was confused.  She had _initially_ accepted why Imelda didn’t want to tell Hector about the baby, thinking he’d be home within a month.  But when one month stretched to two, Lucia thought Imelda would finally tell Hector the news. 

 

“I can’t force him to come home, Lucia,” Imelda responded softly, absently rubbing a hand across the discernable swell of her stomach.  “If I tell him now, yes, he’ll come home.  But I won’t know if he’ll resent me for it until it is too late.”  A pause and a deep breath.  “I love him too much to do that, no matter how much I _need_ and _want_ him here with me.”  And then the tears started to pour down her face.  “What if this is the tour that changes his life, our lives, for the better?  If he comes home now we’ll never know.  And I don’t want that to hang over our heads for the rest of our lives.”

 

Lucia’s heart broke at Imelda’s whispered confession.  Imelda was so mature, so strong, that it was easy to forget how young she really was.  Lucia had seen women older and with more life experience throw absolute temper tantrums at not getting their way.  Yet, here was Imelda, a young woman of only 22, with two brothers, a daughter, and a baby on the way.  And she was putting their needs and wants, and those of her equally young husband, ahead of her own.  She felt both an immense amount of pride and sadness for Imelda.

 

“Oh, Imelda,” Lucia sighed before pulling the younger woman into her arms.  Imelda went willingly, grateful for a mothers comfort.  She sobbed into Lucia’s shoulder, while Lucia sent up a silent prayer that somehow, some way, Hector would get home before his child was born.

***

Unbeknownst to anyone, Hector was MISERABLE.  He hated being on the road away from his girls.  He longed to be back home, helping Imelda with dinner, twirling Coco around the garden, helping the twins with some new project they had come up with.  He missed it all, and prayed every night that Ernesto would eventually wish to return home too.  So far, that had not been the case. 

 

 _“Did you see the crowd tonight, mi amigo!”_ Ernesto would exclaim as they made their way back to whatever roof they were keeping over their head that night.  _“Bigger than last week, no?  Our popularity must be growing!”_

Hector would simply smile and agree.  Truth be told, he never noticed the size of the crowds, but rather the lack of two faces he longed to see more than anything in the world.  When they would perform at the plaza in Santa Cecilia, he would look for his girls right away, and keep his eyes on them all night.  When Coco was still quite small, Imelda would stay toward the back, but as their little girl grew, she wanted to be closer to her papa while he performed.  Looking down and seeing his daughter smiling like the sun brought him more joy than thousands of fans ever would. 

 

It had been four months since he had seen them, since he had held Coco’s tiny body tight to his own, since they had sang their song together at bedtime.  Four long months since he had woken up next to Imelda, since he had snuck up behind her in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her.  It was these things he longed for more than anything else, more than he wanted to share his songs with nameless faces each night. 

 

He had managed to broach the subject of home with Ernesto just once, but Ernesto had simply laughed him off and dropped the matter.  That was two months ago.  Hector had yet to gain the courage to broach the subject again.  Ernesto was in his element, having the time of his life.  Hector was able to play the part for the crowds, and for Ernesto to a point, but once left alone, the façade crumbled.  He read and re-read the letters from home every chance he had.  If they were fortunate to stay somewhere with a phone available, he would call home right away. 

 

Those phone calls were the hardest- he would tell Coco how wonderful his stops were, how big the world was, and his little girl loved hearing his stories (some true, others made up for her benefit).  But then there was Imelda.  He longed to tell her how depressed he was being away from home, how he missed her, and Coco, even her brothers.  But every time they spoke, she sounded so… _strong_.  Not a hint of sadness or worry, she just sounded like she always did.  Had she sounded the tiniest bit off, he would have hopped on the next train home.  But she never did, and as a result, he couldn’t tell her how sad he was, he couldn’t do that to her.  She had even ventured into shoe making, hoping to have a small family business up and running before the end of the year.  So he swallowed his misery, put on his best show for her, and didn’t drop the act until the conversation ended. 

 

He was ashamed to admit that he sometimes _hoped_ for something to be wrong.  That the money wasn’t enough, that she was tired, that Coco had a cold, _something_ to give him an out.  But there was never any sign.  So he continued to be brave for her, crying over her letters and their family photo instead, while Ernesto was God knows where with whatever senorita had caught his eye that night.

 

“Oh how I miss you,” he whispered to the photo as tears fell from his eyes.  “I’ll be home soon, I promise.”  And as he did every night, he fell asleep with the photo clutched tightly to his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins have a plan that almost goes off without a hitch- until Lucia catches them at the station.

Despite an earful from Lucia about not causing any unnecessary stress for their sister, Oscar and Felipe spent the next month plotting out ways to tell their _idiota_ of a brother in law that he was going to be a papa again.  Unfortunately for them, Imelda was always one step ahead.

 

There was the note they tried to hide in her latest letter.  It was short and to the point:  _Imelda is pregnant- come home now estupido!_ Unfortunately they hadn’t anticipated Imelda checking the envelope one last time before sending it away.  The discovered note was torn to shreds, burnt in the fireplace, and the two brothers walked around with matching lumps on their heads, and a headache from Imelda’s tirade.

 

Next, was what was supposed to be the secret phone call.  They waited until very late at night to call the number Hector had phoned from earlier in the day.  The evening operator must have been hard of hearing, because Oscar ended up shouting into the phone, rousing both Coco and Imelda.  With it being so late, the house was very dark, and Imelda could not see that it was her brothers roaming the kitchen.  The two walked around with very sore ribs from where their sister whacked them repeatedly with a broom before realizing it was not an intruder in their home.  The next day, she left very explicit instructions with the Santa Cecilia operator to not allow her brothers to contact anyone outside of town.

 

Their last desperate attempt they almost got away with.  Hector was going to be in Mexico City soon.  Their thought was that they could intercept him there and take him home.  Train tickets in hand, Oscar and Felipe were mere steps from their train, when a very relieved Lucia stepped in their path.  The relief was short lived and quickly morphed into anger.

 

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF SANTA MARIA WERE YOU TWO THINKING?!” she shrieked at them.  Oscar and Felipe were honestly afraid or their safety- Lucia never yelled at anyone.

 

“Well…,” Oscar began.

 

“… you see, we thought that maybe….,” Felipe continued.

 

“… we could get to Mexico City ahead of Hector…”

 

“and bring him home as a surprise for Imelda and Coco!”  They were met with stony silence.

 

“Good plan, right?” the asked in unison.

 

Lucia took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do you two have ANY idea the state I found your sister in?”  An identical head shake.  “Oh, well, she came to me in absolute hysterics when she couldn’t find either of you and noticed some of your things gone.  She was so upset that I had to call Jorge to come and check on her!”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Is she ok?” Oscar was hesitant to ask.

 

“Yes, but no thanks to the two of you!”

 

“We’re sorry, Lucia,” Felipe offered quietly, the shame he felt he was sure equaled that of his brother.

 

“We never meant to make her worry that much,” Oscar added.  “We just want Hector to come home.”

 

“She won’t say it, but she’s crumbling without him.”

 

“I know,” Lucia sighed.  “I know you mean well, but you need to let this go for now.  Whether he makes it home in the next four months or not, your sister needs YOU.  I know you were around when she was expecting Coco, but I doubt you paid the pregnancy any mind.  Things are only going to become more difficult from here on out.  If she is going to make anything of this shoe business, she’s going to need your help.  She is going to need you HERE, not off trying to find Hector.  Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

 

“Si, Lucia,” they replied. 

 

“We just wanted to help her, and we’re running out of options.”

 

“And time.  Four months isn’t very long, Lucia.”

 

“I know, _mijos_ , believe me I know.  But until your sister realizes she cannot do everything by herself, we have to let this run its course.  The second she says she wants him home, I’ll put you on a train myself!”  A pause, and a smirk.  “And when I see Hector, I don’t know whether I’ll hug or hit him first.”

 

Felipe chucked.  “You do the hugging.”

 

“We’ll take care of the hitting,” Oscar chimed in. “Unless Imelda gets to him first.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coco unknowingly provides the solution her tios have been looking for.

When Oscar and Felipe arrived home a short time later, they were prepared for a tirade from their sister.  They looked at each other, made the sign of the cross, saluted each other and stepped through the door.  They were ready for whatever she wanted to shout at them- they were not ready, however, for the quiet that greeted them.

 

Imelda looked pale, and sadder than the two had ever seen her, even after mama and papa had essentially thrown her out of the family.  She looked up at them with red rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks, but said nothing.

 

Both boys were frightened by what they saw.  This depressed, emotionless woman in front of them was not their sister.  As afraid of her anger as they had been, seeing her like this was much worse.

 

“Imelda…,” Oscar began.

 

“We’re really so-,” Felipe stopped when Imelda put her hand up.

 

“Dinner is heating on the stove.  Coco is in the other room drawing and will need to eat soon.  I’m going to bed.”  A pause as she got to her feet with far more grace than one would expect.  She glanced back to her brothers and added, “anything short of a fire, or something happening to Coco, do not bother me.”  And with that she made her way toward her own room and closed the door.

 

“ _Mierda_ ,” both mumbled to themselves.  A quick check on dinner, and the two made their way to sit with their niece.  Coco had paper and crayons spread out on the small table, a pile of pictures strewn about.

 

“ _Hola_ Coco,” they chorused as they sat on either side of her.

 

“What are you working on?” Felipe asked as he picked up what he assumed were her finished works.

 

“Some pictures for _papa_ ,” she responded without looking up. 

 

“Ahh, you are quite the _artista,_ ” Oscar complimented her, which earned him a smile in return.

 

“ _Si_!” Coco cheerfully responded.  “I drew him a picture of the sun,” she held up a paper with a ball of orange, red, and yellow, “and I drew Pepita, the shoes _mama_ is learning to make, and I wrote my name so he can see how good I can do it now!”

 

The twins nodded and fawned over her work.  “What’s that one you’re working on there?” Felipe wondered as he leaned over Coco’s head. 

 

The little girl held her current project up proudly for them to see.  “This is the last one- _mama_ said no more than five pictures at a time.  It’s me and _mama_ waving to _papa_!” 

 

Coco may have been young, and her artistic abilities weren’t necessarily advanced, but she had managed two distinct figures. Ones they were sure Hector could identify as a mama and her little girl.  The little girl had Coco’s signature braids, and the mama… well, the mama was certainly more round in the middle than what Coco usually drew for Imelda.  Oscar and Felipe looked at one another, the same plan hatching in both of their heads.

 

“Say, Coco,” Oscar turned back to the child.  “Why did you draw your _mama_ like this, and not like before?”

 

“Because _mama_ doesn’t look like that anymore!” she replied with a giggle.  “My baby brother or sister is in her belly now, remember?”

 

“That’s right, how could we forget!” Felipe answered with an exaggerated flair. 

 

“Say, you know what might surprise your _papa_ even more?”  Oscar continued, his excitement anything but exaggerated.  “If you showed him some new words you can write, not just your name!”

 

Coco gasped with a smile that lit up her entire face.  “Oh, yes, Tio Oscar!” A pause.  “But what other words can I write?”

 

Felipe picked up right where his brother left off.  “Well, we can label everyone in the picture!”  A confused look was his answer.  “A label tells what, or who, is in a picture.”

 

“You know, kind of like some of your books about animals- there is the picture of the animal, and its name right next to it,” Oscar finished.

 

“Oh.”  A pause.  “But _papa_ already knows who me and _mama_ are!”

 

“But, just think how happy and proud he would be to see that you can write those words!  I bet he’d have an extra big hug and kiss for you when he comes home!”

 

“ _Si!_ And we can help you!”

 

The huge, toothy smile was back on Coco’s face.  “Ok.  I know how to write my name, but can you help me with _mama_ and… oh no!”

 

“What?  What _oh no_?” Oscar and Felipe pressed, sounding alarmed.

 

“The baby doesn’t have a name yet, so what am I supposed to write for it?”

 

A sigh of relief from both boys.  “How about we just write _bebe_ \- that’s a tough word, Papa will be extra proud of that one!”

 

“Yay!” Coco cheered happily and got to work on finishing her picture.  She missed the accomplished look Oscar and Felipe gave each other, and the quick handshake they shared before helping Coco with her project.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector learns the news and wastes no time in getting home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check out the adorable artwork of Coco's drawing created by phantommermaidqueen on tumblr!  
> https://picajc.tumblr.com/post/176621896020/picajc-phantommermaidqueen-umm-i-have-no

The mail didn’t get out for another week, and took another two before reaching the duo in Mexico City.  Thankfully, on the day it went out, Imelda was too rushed to look at all the pictures Coco wanted to include, and even more thankfully, Coco didn’t find the need to tell her mother exactly what she drew on all of them.  Still, the twins didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until they saw the letters and pictures leave the house.  Now all that was left to do was wait.

 

When Hector returned to the hotel after a late afternoon performance that day, he dropped down onto his bed with a groan.  Ernesto was off schmoozing some senoritas at the cantina and wouldn’t be back until very early in the morning, if he returned that night at all.  He always encouraged Hector to stay, but Hector always declined.  He didn’t care what other women thought of him, he was too caught up in missing his wife and daughter.  The only senorita he cared about was Imelda, and she wasn’t there.

 

Speaking of his _familia_ , he picked up the letter that was waiting for him at the front desk when he returned.  As tired and as miserable as he was, he hoped this small taste of home would brighten his dampened spirits.  In reality, he knew the only thing that would make him truly feel better would be seeing Imelda and Coco and holding them tight in his arms.  Once he arrived home, he knew he would never leave again- this tour had proven once and for all that he didn’t need to play for the world- his world was waiting for him back in Santa Cecelia.

 

Imelda’s letters spoke of home, Coco, Oscar and Felipe, and how learning to become a shoe maker was going.  This one also talked of how much she and Coco missed him, and how their bed felt more and more empty each night he was gone.  That was a first- she always spoke of how much they loved and missed him, but never anything quite like that.  It seemed sad in a way.  When they had spoken a week or so ago, she _had_ sounded different, but she assured him she was just tired and he didn’t question it anymore.  He had been searching for a plausible reason to go home, could this finally be it?

 

Before he thought too much about it, he finished reading the letter, which also told him Coco had included some pictures.  Behind the letter were several very colorful sheets of paper, all done by his precious _mija_.  The sunset reminded him of the ones they would sit and watch as a family on warm nights, Pepita looked the same as always, and Coco’s writing was certainly improving.  All brought the first genuine smile he felt in weeks, both to his face and to his heart.  However, the last one nearly stopped his heart, and all the others dropped onto the bed without a second thought.

 

In his hands was a picture of his beautiful wife and daughter.  Both figures labeled with the words _Coco_ and _Mama_.  Those were not what caught his attention, though.  What made his heart start pounding was the roundess of Imelda’s picture, complete with the word _bebe_ next to it.  Coco had clearly written it, but there was no way she had done it on her own.  He dropped the drawing and scanned the letter again, looking for any hint of what the drawing showed.  He frantically looked through old letters, thought back on all of the phone conversations of the nearly six months he was gone, and came up with nothing.  He picked up the drawing again. 

Could he be jumping to conclusions?  Could this just be wishful thinking on Coco’s part?  Before he left she had talked of wanting a baby brother or sister for her birthday.  Imelda had explained ever so patiently that a baby would not be one of her presents for her birthday the following week, they took much longer.  Surely, Imelda would have told him if she was pregnant… wouldn’t she?  He had left nearly six months ago…

 

His head was spinning, he didn’t know what to think.  He turned the drawing over in his hands, seeing something written hastily in pen on the back. 

 

_Six months.  COME HOME!_

Whether it was Oscar or Felipe’s handwriting he didn’t know, nor did he care.  In that instant, he made the decision he should have made months ago.  He threw what little belongings he had into his suitcase, packed his guitar, tucked the picture into his jacket pocket, and made a mad dash for the train station.  With any luck, he’d be home this time tomorrow.

 

He didn’t give a second thought to Ernesto, much less their not-quite-successful tour, the entire time.  He never should have listened to him in the first place.  If he hadn’t, he would have been home with his family, where he should have been all along.  No, his sole focus was on getting out of Mexico City _pronto_ , and getting home to his very pregnant wife.  He didn’t even notice that in his haste to leave, he had knocked over their last bottle of tequila as well as two glasses that had been sitting on the small table in the room.  The sound of the shattering glass fell on deaf ears as Hector raced toward the train station.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hector finally arrives home to the surprise of everyone.

It was two days later when Hector’s train finally pulled into Santa Cecilia. He had never been so happy to see the sleepy little town in all his life.  He received numerous happy greetings as he made his way toward home, but could do little more than wave back.  Nothing would deter him from getting home to his family… his _growing_ family.  That thought alone added and extra spring to his already fast paced step.

 

A block or so away from home, he caught sight of Lucia walking ahead of him.  He grinned as he ran up behind her and hugged her tight.

 

“Who in the—“ she started but gasped when she saw who was in front of her.  “Hector?”  A sheepish smile and a wave.  “Oh Hector!”  She threw her arms around him, tears of relief spilling down her face.  “ _Gracias a dios!_ You have no idea how glad I am to see you!”

 

Hector chucked at that.  “I may have _some_ idea, Lucia.”  And without another word he pulled Coco’s precious drawing from his pocket and showed her.  “It’s really true?”

 

Lucia nodded and couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in her.  “Oh I could kiss that child!”

 

“Not until after I’ve had my fill,” Hector responded with a teary eyed smile.  “Imelda- how is she? Is she alright?”

 

“She’s doing fine, but having you home will certainly improve her spirits, _mijo._ ”  She cupped his cheek as only a mother could.  “Come on.”

 

The two quickly made their way down the road toward the Rivera house.  Hector peeked over the fence and his heart nearly burst at seeing his daughter playing under the shade of a large tree.  She was dancing around to a song in her head, her favorite doll held in her arms.  Hector put his finger to his lips asking Lucia to keep quiet as he pulled out his guitar.  She opened the gate quietly for him as he began to strum a tune to match her pace.

 

It took a moment, but once Coco realized she wasn’t alone, her head spun toward the gate.  The smile that greeted him was something that Hector would never forget as long as he lived.

 

“ _PAPA!”_ she shouted as she ran toward him.  Hector quickly swung the guitar across his back and scooped his daughter up into his arms.  He held her tightly to him, tears streaming down both of their faces, Coco repeating the words “ _Papa you’re home!_ ” over and over.  It was the sweetest song Hector ever heard.

 

Of course this loud and joyous reunion caught Imelda’s attention.  She wasn’t expecting anyone, and the idea that a stranger was in her yard with her daughter sent a chill up her spine.  She made her way out the back door and into the yard quickly for a woman in her sixth month of pregnancy.

 

“Coco, what’s wro—“ and as quickly as she had exited the house, she froze, not believing who was in front of her. 

 

“ _Hola_ _mi amor_ ,” Hector said quietly, trying to gauge her reaction.  He also could not tear his eyes from the obvious bulge in her stomach.  Seeing it in a child’s drawing was one thing- seeing it in person, confirming what he already knew was another.

 

Imelda shook her head.  “When did you… how did you…” she whirled around to face her brothers who were standing in the doorway, looks of utter relief plastered on their face.  “ _YOU!”_ she practically growled.

 

As he watched his brothers-in-law stumble over their words at the tirade they were getting from Imelda, Hector smiled at Coco, kissed her nose, and once again took the drawing out of his pocket.  

 

“ ‘Melda,” he called out to her.

 

Imelda angrily turned back to Hector.  Seeing the drawing in his hand for the first time stopped the flow of accusations and names she was throwing at her brothers.

 

“Look, _mama_!  _Papa_ got my pictures!” Coco cheered.

 

“Something you might want to tell me, _querida_?” Hector asked with a slight chuckle, his eyes shifting from her face to her stomach.

 

In that moment, every angry word she thought she’d have for him when he came home, every name she had intended to call him, they all left her in a rush.  He was finally home.  She had prayed for this since the day she learned another baby was on the way.  A sob escaped her throat and she dropped her head into her hands as the tears started flowing.

 

Hector, with Coco held securely in his arms, was by her side in a flash.  He wrapped his free arm around her and peppered the top of her head with kisses, all while repeatedly whispering the words ‘ _lo siento’, ‘esta bien’,_ and _‘te amo’_ over and over again.  Imelda threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest, all of her pent up emotion of the last six months spilling out.  Coco, not used to seeing _mama_ like this, stroked Imelda’s hair, just as Imelda had done countless times for her after a bad dream .

 

“Come on,” Lucia turned to the twins, who were watching the scene before them with identical looks of genuine relief and happiness for their sister.  “Leave them be- you can help me fix dinner.”  The boys followed without a word, both thankful they were not in trouble with their sister for the moment.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family is reunited, and our favorite couple has a long overdue conversation.

It took a little while for the small family to notice they had been left alone.  Hector and Imelda exchanged watery smiles before walking toward the small bench that sat under the tree.  They settled there, Coco tucked securely into Hector’s side, Imelda (and the baby) held tightly to the other.  The peaceful moment lasted until Hector felt a jab against his ribs.

 

“Was that…” he looked from Imelda’s stomach to her face, and she nodded with a hint of a smile.

 

Coco giggled from the other side.  “He does that a lot, _papa_.  Especially when me or _mama_ sings to him.”

 

Hector tickled her belly, coaxing more giggles from his daughter.  “Oh, _he_ , huh?  What makes you so sure it’s a brother?”

 

Coco shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I just know it in here.”  She pointed to her heart.  That action, combined with the melodic sound of her laughter was almost enough to bring about a fresh wave of tears.

 

He hugged both of his girls tighter, noticing the persistent pressure against his side increasing, again almost bringing him to tears.  “Well then it must be true!”

 

“Coco, why don’t you go see if abuelita needs some help in the kitchen,” Imelda finally spoke up.  As much as he wanted to continue holding onto her, Hector recognized Imelda’s need for an adult conversation.  One loud and exuberant kiss to her cheek, and Hector set Coco down so she could be of some help to Lucia.

 

He turned to Imelda, who now wore a very different expression- one he had seen only a few times in their life together.  She was afraid; of what he wasn’t entirely sure, but there was no mistaking the scared look on her face.

 

His hand cupped her cheek.  “Imelda?”

 

Her voice was quiet, too quiet, and she couldn’t look him in the eye.  “Are you angry?”

 

If he wasn’t so concerned by her tone, he would have laughed.  “ _Que_?”

 

She looked up at him now, and asked again, stronger, more determined.  “I said, are you angry?”  She was bracing for a fight and he knew it.  But she wasn’t going to get one.

 

“Me?  Angry?  Why on Earth would you think I’m angry?!”

 

“Because I didn’t tell you about,” she gestured to her stomach.  “Because I kept it from you for so long.  Because you had to find out from our daughter.”  A pause, a duck of her head, and a softer, “because you had to come home.”  She looked back at him with glistening eyes, tears threatening to fall, but not daring to do so.

 

Hector did the only thing that felt right in that moment.  He grabbed her with both arms and hugged her as tight as her body would allow.  “Oh, _mi amor_.”  A kiss to her temple.  “I am not angry, I could never be angry with you.  I wish you would have told me, it would have been the excuse I needed to come home months ago!”

 

“What?!”

 

“I was miserable, ‘melda.”  He took a deep breath.  “I wanted to come home after two months.  Every phone call, every letter, I hoped for something that would require me to return.  If you had said Coco bumped her knee I would have been on the next train home!”

 

“Why didn’t you just leave, _idiota!?”_ Ahh… there she was.

 

“Because I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me.  I didn’t want you to think I was a failure.”  She gave him a look urging him to continue.  “I mean the crowds were there, sure, but… well, you weren’t.  You and Coco.  I missed you both too much to care if we played for a thousand people or ten.  What kind of _musico_ doesn’t care about performing?  That’s the whole point isn’t it?  And if I left home for something I ended up not caring about, what kind of husband and father does that make me?”  He couldn’t look her in the eye so he looked down toward the ground.

 

“I’d say it makes you a very good one,” she answered, lifting his chin, forcing him to look at her.  “Missing your family does not make you a failure, Hector Rivera.  If anything, it makes you a better man than you already were.  And that’s saying something.”

 

He smiled and held her hand to his cheek. “You always did know just the right things to say.”  She smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek.  “Now, why were you so afraid to tell me we were having a baby?”

 

“I wasn’t _afraid_ ,” she countered.  She was prepared to defend her decision, but the knowing look he gave her crumbled her already weakened defenses.   “Ok, ok, I was worried.”  Still the same look.  “And… nervous.”  He didn’t blink.  “Maybe just a little afraid.”  She sighed in defeat.

 

“Did you honestly think I’d be unhappy?”

 

“No, of course not!”  She paused.  “At least, not right away.”  He tilted his head in confusion. _Ay… why was he so good at asking questions without SAYING anything_? She wondered.  “What if this had been the one tour that changed everything, Hector?  What if you and Ernesto finally played for the right people in the right place, and I pulled you away from it?  I couldn’t risk that, couldn’t risk the possibility that you would someday come to resent me, or worse, the baby.”

 

At her admission, he cupped her face gently with both hands.  “Imelda, look at me when I say this.”  She reluctantly looked into his eyes, and she knew what he was about to say would be coming from his heart.  “There is NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, in this world more important to me than our family.  No tour, no agents or record deals, no amount of money in the world would ever mean more to me than you, our children, even your brothers- don’t tell them I said that.”  She grinned at that.  “None of that is worth anything at the end of the day.  I may have written ‘ _The World es Mi Familia_ ’, but please believe me when I say that our family, is MY world.”

 

In that moment the weight of the last six months left her and she was again crying in his arms, only this time they were tears of joy.  Her husband was home, and happy to be there, their daughter was thriving, and soon they would have another baby to love and sing and dance with.  For the first time in six months, both Hector and Imelda were looking toward the future with hope and happiness and love.

 

Hector helped Imelda to her feet and the two made their way to the house hand in hand.  “Now, I want to hear more about this shoe business, _querida_ …”


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months later...

Epilogue

_3 months later_

Coco was bored.  And confused.  And tired.  And above all else, full of questions for her _tios_. 

 

_Why did they wake her up when it was still dark out?_

_Why did she have to go to Lucia’s house?_

_Why couldn’t she stay home and wait for her baby brother with Papa?_

_Why couldn’t she visit with mama before she had to leave?_

_How long did it take for her baby brother to be born?_

 

Oscar and Felipe may have been older than when Coco had been born, but none of these were questions they had the answer to.

_They woke her up because they had to leave to fetch Lucia, and then stay there until she came home.  It would be too crowded at home with all of them to wait for the baby_.Imelda had made them promise to take Coco out of the house when the baby came.  She didn’t want Coco to see or hear anything that might upset her.  Both brothers agreed, grateful for the escape it also provided them.  They had been with Imelda when she first went into labor with Coco, and that was an experience they had no desire to ever repeat.

 

 _Papa was the only person besides Lucia who could stay with mama- those were the rules_.  Coco had accepted that answer easy enough.  Hector technically shouldn’t have stayed either, but considering he had been there when Coco was born, Lucia couldn’t really force him to leave this time.  Especially if Imelda became as hysterical as she apparently had the last time.

 

 _Mama needed her rest for the baby.  Once the baby was born, Coco could see her_.  Both Hector and Imelda agreed that the risk of frightening Coco was too great, and she would not be allowed in the bedroom once they decided Lucia was needed.  It broke Imelda’s heart to hear her baby calling for her, but her rational side won out.  She felt better hearing Hector comfort their obviously upset daughter.

 

 _Babies came when they were ready- there was no way to know how long it would take._   Waiting for Coco had taken all afternoon and most of the evening, but her sibling seemed to be in no rush to join the family.  They had left the house in the very early morning hours, and the sun was beginning to set again.  The twins were hopeful that Coco would tire soon, then they could take a much needed siesta as well. 

 

When Hector walked into Lucia’s house a few hours later, he smiled tiredly at the sight before him.  Coco was curled up in a chair, her head leaning on the windowsill as if she had been watching for her papa all day (she had).  The twins were sprawled on the floor below her, both snoring in almost identical patterns.

 

Hector gently placed his hand on Coco’s forehead in an effort to ease her awake.  She stirred, rubbed her eyes, and looked up at her father with a sleepy smile.  “ _Hola papa._ ”

 

“ _Hola mija,_ ” he returned her quiet greeting with his own.  “Did you have a good sleep?”  She nodded, yawned and sat up. 

 

Suddenly, her eyes went wide.  “Papa!” she shrieked, jolting Oscar and Felipe awake.  They looked around curiously before settling their eyes on their brother in law.

 

“Hector!  You’re here!” Felipe exclaimed.

 

“Does that mean what we think it means?” Oscar asked nervously.

 

Hector smiled and nodded before turning back to Coco.  “Come on, _mi cielito_ ,” he extended his hand to her.  “ _Mama_ wants to give you a big hug, and Antonio would very much like to meet his big sister."


End file.
